UPPER SANDUSKY, Ohio — Staffing issues are affecting law enforcement agencies across the state and country, but one sheriff’s office in northwest Ohio now has a full roster after swearing in the force’s first female.

What You Need To Know

  • Katelyn Foley is the first female deputy sheriff in Wyandot County

  • Foley's parents work in law enforcement and she's wanted to follow in their footsteps since she was a kid

  • Wyandot County Sheriff Todd Frey said women haven't really shown an interest in a full-time position in the past

On her first day as a full-time employee of the Wyandot County Sheriff’s Office, Katelyn Foley visited with some businesses in Sycamore.

“I am super excited to get to know this community,” Foley said. “It’s such a small community and they’re just so loving.”

She toured some of the townships and villages of the county with her field training officer, Major Kurt Beidelschies. He said building a rapport with residents is important.

“They’re really the eyes and ears to our community,” he said. “We’re out here as much as we can, but you don’t know everything.”

Foley officially started her career as a deputy sheriff this month. It’s the first time for the community to see a female wear the uniform.

“I’ve had a lot of people come up to me like, ‘Oh, my gosh! There’s a girl!’” Foley said. “That’s just super nice to hear.”

Sheriff Todd Frey said there are advantages to having a woman on his team.

“Crime victims, whether adults or children, may be more approachable to a female officer,” he said.

Frey said he thinks the delay in having a female officer in the department stems from women not wanting to work in the area.

“We’ve had auxiliary members,” he said. “Female auxiliary members, but no one’s really made the leap to go full time.”

That is until Foley. Her parents both work in law enforcement and she said she’s wanted to follow in their footsteps since she was a kid.

“They’ve been so supportive,” she said. “They know I’ve always looked up to them and that this is where I want to call home, so it’s pretty awesome.”

The 20-year-old graduated from the peace officer academy last year and is in for an extensive amount of training before she patrols the more than 400 square miles of the county solo, but Beidelschies offered some advice.

“Always be truthful, always be honest,” he said. “Take the job one day at a time. Find the ability and grace in everything that you do.”

Words Foley plans to take to heart while serving the nearly 22,000 residents of the county.

“I wanna help people on their worst day,” she said.